The Health Extension Program is designed to achieve significant basic health care coverage in Ethiopia over five years through the provision of a staffed health post to serve every 5000 people, with a total of over 72 million people served. This new community-based health care delivery system will improve access and equity in health care through a focus on sustained preventive health actions and increased health awareness.

Every health post (current or to be built) will be staffed by two Health Extension Workers (HEW), who will have undergone a one year training course. The training program for the Health Extension Workers includes 16 major packages under four components.

Building and Maintaining Healthful House
Construction, Usage and Maintenance of Sanitary Latrine
Control of Insects, Rodents and other Biting Species
Food Hygiene and Safety Measures
Personal Hygiene
Solid and Liquid Waste Management
Water Supply Safety Measures

Building and Maintaining Healthful House

Enable the community to build their own healthful houses and safeguard themselves against health risks which might result from unhealthy living environment. [Download pdf]

Construction, Usage and Maintenance of Sanitary Latrine

Prevent excreta-related diseases by enabling communities to build and maintain a safe latrine system and develop habits of sanitary latrine use. [Download pdf]

Control of Insects, Rodents and other Biting Species

Enable communities to identify vector borne diseases common in rural Ethiopia, and learn methods for their control. Special attention will be given to the elimination of mosquito breeding sites through water management in household and community sites. [Download pdf]

Food hygiene and Safety Measures

Develop food safety skills and awareness through household and community level training on types and sources of food-borne illness, signs of spoiled food, detection and control of milk borne diseases, principles and methods of food preservation, and hygienic principles of food storage.[Download pdf]

Personal Hygiene

Bring about behavioral changes to prevention of diseases through broad education campaign on the importance of personal hygienic practices such as bathing, teeth cleaning, nail cutting, and hygiene for young children. Focus on the link between common diseases and personal and family hygienic practices. [Download pdf]

Solid and Liquid Waste Management

Develop awareness, knowledge and skills to address problems associated with improper disposal of solid and liquid wastes on community health. [Download pdf]

Water Supply Safety Measures

Develop community awareness, knowledge and skills to address water contamination from common sources in rural settings including human excreta, animal waste, pesticides, mills, garages and factories. Training at the household level to address issues of clean storage, boiling, and the construction of home made sand filters. [Download pdf]

Promote healthy physical, social and mental development of youth by providing health education, increasing access to health resources among youth, and raising community awareness on youth-related issues. These issues include sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancy, early marriage, the use of alcohol and narcotics, rape, high risk abortion and assault. Organize youth-centered community events, promote the formation of youth groups, promote and distribute condoms to protect against HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. [Download pdf]

Family Planning

Increase community awareness, knowledge and access to family planning services, while promoting the benefits of child spacing to reduce maternal and child morbidity. Raise community awareness the advantages and disadvantages of variety of contraceptive methods in terms of the prevention of both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Provide referrals to higher level health and family planning services. [Download pdf]

Vaccination Services

Increase coverage of vaccination services by raising community awareness of the importance of vaccination, and providing increased access to vaccines on the basis of planned national guidelines. Work with community leaders to help vaccinate mothers and children by providing scheduled vaccine services at community locations, house to house visits to follow-up non-vaccinated children, and regular reporting of community vaccination coverage.[Download pdf]

Nutrition

Educate communities on nutrition, nutritional care of infants and children, food preparation for a balanced diet and the diseases caused by malnutrition. House to house visits and organized events will be used to promote healthy nutritional practices, and inform community members on a variety of nutritional issues. Conduct demonstrations on household strategies to improve family nutrition such as healthy meal preparation and the integration of animal husbandry and poultry with household food production. [Download pdf]

Disease Prevention and Control
HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis Prevention and Control
Malaria Prevention and Control
First Aid

HIV/AIDS prevention and control
Raise community awareness about HIV, promote behaviors that reduce risk of HIV infection, and educate communities on how to provide support for AIDS patients. Provide basic clinical care for AIDS patients and educate family members on first aid care for AIDS patients at home.

Tuberculosis prevention and control
Prevent and control of the spread of tuberculosis by increasing community awareness of the modes of transmission of TB and promoting the use of control measures including childhood BCG vaccination, transmission reduction practices for home care of TB patients, and the boiling of milk. Instruction will include how to recognize the signs and symptoms of TB, the importance of timely TB treatment, and the relationship of TB and AIDS. [Download pdf]

Malaria prevention and control

Educate communities on the modes of malaria transmission, promote malaria control activities according to the principles of the Global Malaria Control strategy and national strategic plan. Mobilize communities identify and clean up mosquito breeding sites, conduct indoor residual house spraying, and use insecticide treated mosquito nets. Provide prompt clinical diagnosis and treatment with effective first line antimalarial drugs for uncomplicated malaria. [Download pdf]

First Aid

Raise community awareness on the importance of first aid, and refer severely sick or injured people to nearby health facilities. Select potential first aid volunteers from communities, and provide them with training on emergency first-aid, including emergency treatment of wounds, bone fractures, burns, bleeding, foreign objects in nose, ear, eye and respiratory system, severe diarrhea, high fever, poisoning and snake bite. Facilitate the development of referral mechanisms for individuals requiring further medical attention. [Download pdf]

Health Education and Communication

Education and communication on health issues through communication methods appropriate for various community settings, methods to motivate behavioral change, active listening, and the use of role play and drama. [Download pdf]